diff --git a/gossipd/gossipd.c b/gossipd/gossipd.c
index eea5fd3d6904..d13ba5e4652c 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossipd.c
+++ b/gossipd/gossipd.c
@@ -1135,6 +1135,9 @@ static struct io_plan *gossip_init(struct io_conn *conn,
 	daemon->connectd = daemon_conn_new(daemon, CONNECTD_FD,
 					   connectd_req, NULL, daemon);
 
+	/* OK, we are ready. */
+	daemon_conn_send(daemon->master,
+			 take(towire_gossipd_init_reply(NULL)));
 	return daemon_conn_read_next(conn, daemon->master);
 }
 
@@ -1507,6 +1510,7 @@ static struct io_plan *recv_req(struct io_conn *conn,
 		return onionmsg_req(conn, daemon, msg);
 	/* We send these, we don't receive them */
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_PING_REPLY:
+	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_GET_STRIPPED_CUPDATE_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_GET_TXOUT:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_DEV_MEMLEAK_REPLY:
diff --git a/gossipd/gossipd_wire.csv b/gossipd/gossipd_wire.csv
index bb51590e2803..2dbd2b2245d7 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossipd_wire.csv
+++ b/gossipd/gossipd_wire.csv
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@ msgdata,gossipd_init,dev_gossip_time,?u32,
 msgdata,gossipd_init,dev_fast_gossip,bool,
 msgdata,gossipd_init,dev_fast_gossip_prune,bool,
 
+msgtype,gossipd_init_reply,3100
+
 # In developer mode, we can mess with time.
 msgtype,gossipd_dev_set_time,3001
 msgdata,gossipd_dev_set_time,dev_gossip_time,u32,
diff --git a/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.c b/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.c
index e779e960192f..b5f6a2b328e0 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.c
+++ b/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.c
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ const char *gossipd_wire_name(int e)
 
 	switch ((enum gossipd_wire)e) {
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT: return "WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT";
+	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY: return "WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY";
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_DEV_SET_TIME: return "WIRE_GOSSIPD_DEV_SET_TIME";
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_PING: return "WIRE_GOSSIPD_PING";
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_PING_REPLY: return "WIRE_GOSSIPD_PING_REPLY";
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ bool gossipd_wire_is_defined(u16 type)
 {
 	switch ((enum gossipd_wire)type) {
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT:;
+	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY:;
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_DEV_SET_TIME:;
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_PING:;
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_PING_REPLY:;
@@ -139,6 +141,25 @@ bool fromwire_gossipd_init(const tal_t *ctx, const void *p, const struct chainpa
 	return cursor != NULL;
 }
 
+/* WIRE: GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY */
+u8 *towire_gossipd_init_reply(const tal_t *ctx)
+{
+	u8 *p = tal_arr(ctx, u8, 0);
+
+	towire_u16(&p, WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY);
+
+	return memcheck(p, tal_count(p));
+}
+bool fromwire_gossipd_init_reply(const void *p)
+{
+	const u8 *cursor = p;
+	size_t plen = tal_count(p);
+
+	if (fromwire_u16(&cursor, &plen) != WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY)
+		return false;
+	return cursor != NULL;
+}
+
 /* WIRE: GOSSIPD_DEV_SET_TIME */
 /* In developer mode */
 u8 *towire_gossipd_dev_set_time(const tal_t *ctx, u32 dev_gossip_time)
@@ -732,4 +753,4 @@ bool fromwire_gossipd_addgossip_reply(const tal_t *ctx, const void *p, wirestrin
  	*err = fromwire_wirestring(ctx, &cursor, &plen);
 	return cursor != NULL;
 }
-// SHA256STAMP:bc9045727cefbbe29118c8eae928972fe009a4d9d8c9e903f8b35f006973f462
+// SHA256STAMP:6f6810a7e9c5e3e7dc1dd716b6a8de019516f6e82e3664bdf760647b5a987883
diff --git a/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.h b/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.h
index 5059fb559d93..5e2c5f4a3cd4 100644
--- a/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.h
+++ b/gossipd/gossipd_wiregen.h
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 enum gossipd_wire {
         /*  Initialize the gossip daemon. */
         WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT = 3000,
+        WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY = 3100,
         /*  In developer mode */
         WIRE_GOSSIPD_DEV_SET_TIME = 3001,
         /*  Ping/pong test.  Waits for a reply if it expects one. */
@@ -72,6 +73,10 @@ bool gossipd_wire_is_defined(u16 type);
 u8 *towire_gossipd_init(const tal_t *ctx, const struct chainparams *chainparams, const struct feature_set *our_features, const struct node_id *id, const u8 rgb[3], const u8 alias[32], const struct wireaddr *announcable, u32 *dev_gossip_time, bool dev_fast_gossip, bool dev_fast_gossip_prune);
 bool fromwire_gossipd_init(const tal_t *ctx, const void *p, const struct chainparams **chainparams, struct feature_set **our_features, struct node_id *id, u8 rgb[3], u8 alias[32], struct wireaddr **announcable, u32 **dev_gossip_time, bool *dev_fast_gossip, bool *dev_fast_gossip_prune);
 
+/* WIRE: GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY */
+u8 *towire_gossipd_init_reply(const tal_t *ctx);
+bool fromwire_gossipd_init_reply(const void *p);
+
 /* WIRE: GOSSIPD_DEV_SET_TIME */
 /*  In developer mode */
 u8 *towire_gossipd_dev_set_time(const tal_t *ctx, u32 dev_gossip_time);
@@ -175,4 +180,4 @@ bool fromwire_gossipd_addgossip_reply(const tal_t *ctx, const void *p, wirestrin
 
 
 #endif /* LIGHTNING_GOSSIPD_GOSSIPD_WIREGEN_H */
-// SHA256STAMP:bc9045727cefbbe29118c8eae928972fe009a4d9d8c9e903f8b35f006973f462
+// SHA256STAMP:6f6810a7e9c5e3e7dc1dd716b6a8de019516f6e82e3664bdf760647b5a987883
diff --git a/lightningd/gossip_control.c b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
index 4063679e8a2e..1b2fd6a70175 100644
--- a/lightningd/gossip_control.c
+++ b/lightningd/gossip_control.c
@@ -148,6 +148,7 @@ static unsigned gossip_msg(struct subd *gossip, const u8 *msg, const int *fds)
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_SEND_ONIONMSG:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_ADDGOSSIP:
 	/* This is a reply, so never gets through to here. */
+	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_INIT_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_DEV_MEMLEAK_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_DEV_COMPACT_STORE_REPLY:
 	case WIRE_GOSSIPD_GET_STRIPPED_CUPDATE_REPLY:
@@ -187,6 +188,16 @@ static void gossip_topology_synced(struct chain_topology *topo, void *unused)
 	gossip_notify_new_block(topo->ld, get_block_height(topo));
 }
 
+/* We make sure gossipd is started before plugins (which may want gossip_map) */
+static void gossipd_init_done(struct subd *gossipd,
+			      const u8 *msg,
+			      const int *fds,
+			      void *unused)
+{
+	/* Break out of loop, so we can begin */
+	io_break(gossipd);
+}
+
 /* Create the `gossipd` subdaemon and send the initialization
  * message */
 void gossip_init(struct lightningd *ld, int connectd_fd)
@@ -207,7 +218,7 @@ void gossip_init(struct lightningd *ld, int connectd_fd)
 				 gossip_topology_synced, NULL);
 
 	msg = towire_gossipd_init(
-	    tmpctx,
+	    NULL,
 	    chainparams,
 	    ld->our_features,
 	    &ld->id,
@@ -217,7 +228,12 @@ void gossip_init(struct lightningd *ld, int connectd_fd)
 	    IFDEV(ld->dev_gossip_time ? &ld->dev_gossip_time: NULL, NULL),
 	    IFDEV(ld->dev_fast_gossip, false),
 	    IFDEV(ld->dev_fast_gossip_prune, false));
-	subd_send_msg(ld->gossip, msg);
+
+	subd_req(ld->gossip, ld->gossip, take(msg), -1, 0,
+		 gossipd_init_done, NULL);
+
+	/* Wait for gossipd_init_reply */
+	io_loop(NULL, NULL);
 }
 
 void gossipd_notify_spend(struct lightningd *ld,
diff --git a/plugins/topology.c b/plugins/topology.c
index 47490f754a62..2fbe1db76bd3 100644
--- a/plugins/topology.c
+++ b/plugins/topology.c
@@ -20,24 +20,15 @@
 #include <wire/peer_wire.h>
 
 /* Access via get_gossmap() */
+static struct gossmap *global_gossmap;
 static struct node_id local_id;
 static struct plugin *plugin;
 
 /* We load this on demand, since we can start before gossipd. */
 static struct gossmap *get_gossmap(void)
 {
-	static struct gossmap *gossmap;
-
-	if (gossmap)
-		gossmap_refresh(gossmap);
-	else {
-		gossmap = notleak_with_children(gossmap_load(NULL,
-					    GOSSIP_STORE_FILENAME));
-		if (!gossmap)
-			plugin_err(plugin, "Could not load gossmap %s: %s",
-				   GOSSIP_STORE_FILENAME, strerror(errno));
-	}
-	return gossmap;
+	gossmap_refresh(global_gossmap);
+	return global_gossmap;
 }
 
 /* Convenience global since route_score_fuzz doesn't take args. 0 to 1. */
@@ -677,6 +668,12 @@ static const char *init(struct plugin *p,
 		 take(json_out_obj(NULL, NULL, NULL)),
 		 "{id:%}", JSON_SCAN(json_to_node_id, &local_id));
 
+	global_gossmap = notleak_with_children(gossmap_load(NULL,
+					    GOSSIP_STORE_FILENAME));
+	if (!global_gossmap)
+		plugin_err(plugin, "Could not load gossmap %s: %s",
+			   GOSSIP_STORE_FILENAME, strerror(errno));
+
 	return NULL;
 }